Phyllis Knowles

Phyllis Knowles, of North Bend, passed away at her daughter Jean’s home in Coulee City, WA, on Wednesday, December 29, 2010. She was 85 years old. Phyllis was born on July 13, 1925 in Wilder, Idaho, the daughter of Harold and Isabel Andersen. She lived in Badger Pocket, near Kittitas, and graduated from Ellensburg High School in 1944. After attending Central Washington College for 3 months, she moved to North Bend and worked at the Renton Boeing plant for 9 months. She met Robert Knowles when he was discharged from the United States Army in September 1945. They were married on March 8, 1946 in the house where she would live for the next sixty years. Eleven different churches in the Snoqualmie Valley relied on her as the primary baby-sitter for church functions and she was a member of the Seventh Day Adventist Church in Fall City since 1962. In addition to raising seven children, her daily passions included religious paint-ings and writings. She was preceded in death by her husband, Robert J. Knowles in 1991, and by her son John in 2005.Survivors include five daughters Carol Williams of Junction City, OR, Jean Bates of Coulee City, Ella Johnston of Sammamish, Mary Knowles of Ephrata, and Lou Ann Mollenhour of Tumwater; a son Jim Knowles of Fall City; two sister Jean Lantz of Newport, OR and Cecelia Torie of Kennewick; two brothers Alan Andersen of Puyallup and Jim Andersen of Kennewick; 18 grandchildren and 21 great grandchildren.A memorial service was held Monday, January 3, 2011 at Flintofts Issaquah Funeral Home, 540 E Sunset Way, Issaquah. She was buried next to her husband and son at the Mt. Si Memorial Cemetery in North Bend. The family suggests remembrances to a favorite charity. Friends are invited to share memories and sign the family’s on-line guest book at www.flintofts.com.